McDonald’s Announces End to ‘Pink Slime’ in Burgers

Does it take a celebrity chef to complain for McDonald’s to alter the ingredients in its food? From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem that way.

Recently, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver blasted the chain for serving burgers made with ‘pink slime’ on an episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. McDonald’s has since announced that it will be discontinuing the use of “boneless lean beef trimmings,” a food additive containing ammonium hydroxide, in its burgers.

As reported in an ABC News article: “These trimmings, which consist of what’s left of the meat after all the choice cuts of beef are taken, are banned for human consumption in the U.K, where they are instead used for dog and chicken food. They are legal for consumption in the United States, however, where they are treated with ammonium hydroxide in order to kill off bacteria such as E. coli and make it safe for human consumption.”

According to MSNBC, the pink slime is often used in fertilizers and even a household cleaner. It is also used to make cheap dog food, according to several reports.

Both the Golden Arches and Beef Products Incorporated, the company that previously supplied McDonald’s with the controversial beef trimmings product, deny that Oliver’s comment had anything to do with the recipe modification.

BPI says the decision was made long before Oliver’s show aired. McDonald’s released a statement saying that the product has been out of its supply chain since August of last year.

Burger King and Taco Bell have also discontinued the use of boneless lean beef trimmings in their food, according to ABC News.